The Pacific Alumni Association recognized four alumni and an outstanding Pacific family at its 59th annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner on Jan. 27 at the Don and Karen DeRosa University Center on the Stockton campus. The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize alumni whose outstanding achievements and services to humanity have brought credit to University of the Pacific.

"We've heard some extraordinary stories tonight and we're proud to call you all Tigers," Pacific President Pamela A. Eibeck told the audience at the ceremony. "This year's honorees represent a wide range of interests and achievements, exhibiting Pacific's proud history of innovation and diversity. By their professional endeavors, public service and dedication to the university, they personify the spirit of excellence that is Pacific."

About the honorees and videos of their remarks

Julio Hallack '76 ECC (Turlock, CA) - Distinguished Volunteer ServiceCreated in 1992, this award honors alumni who have made exceptional contributions to society through volunteer civic or other service.

Hallack is the owner of Concrete by Hallack, a custom contracting and decorative concrete company. Since emigrating from Mexico in 1973, he has been actively involved in the community as a Board Member of the Turlock Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Gallo Center for the Arts. Hallack is a graduate of the former Elbert Covell College, and his wife and one of his children also attended Pacific. He has been active with the Pacific Alumni Association, having served as a volunteer and a Reunion Committee Member.

Mahrukh Hasan '07 SIS (Pleasanton, CA) - Outstanding Young Alumni AwardCreated in 1984, this award honors young alumni of distinction who have attended University of the Pacific in the last 15 years.

Hasan earned her BA in international studies at Pacific and an MA in international relations and economics at John's Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Hasan is an international development professional with 10 years of project support experience to democracy and governance programs, including capacity-building for the media, justice and security sectors, most recently as a knowledge, monitoring and evaluation manager for Internews Network in South Sudan and the Central African Republic. Previous activities include serving as a monitoring and evaluation consultant for UNICEF, research analyst for the Arab Spring Project at the Center for Constitutional Studies and Democratic Development, integrated resource technologies contractor for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the U.S. Department of Defense, and research analyst for the U.S. Defense and National Security Group Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Beverly Perry '78 COP (Brea, CA) - Distinguished Public ServiceCreated in 1956, this award honors alumni who have made exceptional professional contributions to society through civic or other public service while employed by a nonprofit organization or governmental agency.

Perry is a Public Affairs Consultant, specializing in civic engagement and community conversations. She has been in public service since 1992 when she served as City Clerk, City Council member and mayor for the City of Brea, California. She earned her bachelor of science in geology from Pacific in 1978 and her master of science in education from the University of Southern California in 1980. Previously Perry has served as the assistant director of the Bedrosian Center on Governance at the University of Southern California, manager of member relations at the Southern California Association of Governments, and associate with Greer/Dailey Public Affairs.

John Red Horse '62 COP (Mesa, AZ) - Distinguished Professional ServiceCreated in 1956, this award honors alumni who have achieved notable success in their professional field, either in public or private enterprise.

Red Horse is a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota-Duluth College of Liberal Arts and has been dedicated throughout his career to American Indian studies and welfare. During his tenure at the University of Minnesota, Red Horse was a co-principal investigator of the Indian Child Welfare Certificate Program and served as chair of the American Indian Studies Program and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Red Horse was the principal investigator at Upward Bound Vision Quest, and previously served on the faculty at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Previously he has served as director at the Center for American Indian Education at Arizona State University, director at the American Indian Studies Center at the University of California-Los Angeles, and council member at the National Indian Child Welfare Association. He recently was honored with a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities College of Education and Human Services.

The Low Family - Outstanding Family Award Created in 1964, this award honors a family, some of whose members have attended University of the Pacific and have given special service, made outstanding contributions and brought great honor to Pacific. The Low family, dedicated to service, education and making a difference, has set an exemplary standard of commitment to University of the Pacific. There have been 16 Low family members who have attended or are attending University of the Pacific, and 11 of that number attended the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. The first generation of family members includes the late Howard Low '38 DEN, the late William G. Low '43 DEN and the late Lawrence K. Low '44 DEN. The second generation includes Hanmin Liu DDS, PhD '66 COP, a past recipient of the Distinguished Professional Service award; Everett Low '74 DEN; Gary Low '76 DEN, who served on the Pacific Dugoni Foundation Board; Willard Low '77 DEN; Lester Low '86 DEN, who has served as an adjunct professor at the Dugoni School; Wendy Low '86 MUS; Lyndon Low '88 DDS, who served on the Pacific Alumni Association board from 2001-2006; and Richard R. Gallagher '99 DEN (wife of Mari-Ann Low). The new generation includes Kristin Okazaki '08 BUS, Jennifer Low '12 DEN, Christian Low '14 DEN, and current students Carina Low '18 PHS and Jonathan Low '19 DEN.